How do I find the year and cid of a desoto six?

[1950D34]

I located a Desoto six that is complete and rebuilt. But there is no information other than that. How do I identify the size and year? It looks to have a fluidrive style bellhousing and small three speed attached. Any ideas would be great. The next question would be... How well would this engine fit our '50 dodge project?   

[Plymouthy Adams]

look on the block for the year and serial number...and then you only have a good idea...changes can be made to these that are not identifiable until you do a few measurements..mainly stroke..

[greg g]

You will need to accommodate the extra 1 1/2 inch length of the desoto. Doable but not a direct drop in.

[desoto1939]

up on the side of the block   near where the generator shoulb be there is a flat boss on the block.  The Desoto engines started withan S

 

So my 39 Desoto is an S6  and the engine number starts with the S6xxxxxxxx.

 

Let us know the engine number and then we can identify it for you.

 

Rich Hartung

Desoto1939@aol.com

[1950D34]

Sweet I was looking in the motor manual and under general specs, model designation, the six and v8 are S116C, S14C and so on. So I will check the boss on the block. It would be awesome if it was a 250cid.

[wayfarer]

http://www.t137.com/registry/help/otherengines/otherengines.php

[BobT-47P15]

Like Greg said, the DeSoto (and Chrysler) engine is 25 inches long...while a Dodge or Plymouth is only 23 inches

long.  You would have to re-position your radiator and do some other things to fit it in.  Don Coatney put a DeSoto

motor in his Plymouth a few years ago....which he documented very well.  You should be able to do a forum search

to find part or all of those threads.  

 

 

the number shown below is embossed on the driver's side of the block, in an area below the distributor.  It indicates

when the block was cast.  May or may not have been a while later that it was installed in a car.  This one was made

on 6-2-53.

 

[1950D34]

Well armed with this information I can go back to the wrecking yard and check some engines out. What about the Desoto tranny? any relation to the dodge fluidrive? It seems to have a long bellhousing hiding a fluid coupler and clutch. I will check into what don had to do it cant be to complicated.  

[greg g]

Fluid drive is not the transmission. Common to the desoto anb the dodge would be the corporate three speed standard shift, and the brand version of the corporate m6 semi automatic.

[1950D34]

Fluidrive is the Dodge name for the fluid coupler, (torque converter with a clutch) in front of the 3 speed manual transmission correct? Does Desoto use a fluid coupling 3 speed manual tranny and what is their name for it? 

[DonaldSmith]

"Fluid Drive" means you have the fluid coupling.  DeSoto called their semi-automatic transmission "Tip-Toe" something, referring to having to let up on the gas to upshift.   My Custom has the semi-automatic.  I don't know if the cheaper models came with the three-speed instead. 

[greg g]

Fluid drive was a Chrysler name for the hydraulic power transfer unit used on all but Plymouth. De Soto did have fluid drive with standard trans in entry level cars the also had dry clutch standard cars in through the early 40's.

[DJ194950]

The "fluid coupling" was used by Chrysler Industrial products thru about 1966. I worked on many rough terrain forklifts in the early 70's that used a flat 6 mopar motor mostly long blocks with a fluid coupler and clutch hooked to a 4 spd. all for forward gears then hooked to a second trans that was forward/reverse only, coupled to a 5 ton cap. (approx.) truck type (some two spd.) rear end.  Very few problems with any of this setup. Were 6,000 to 10,000 load capacity. Very, very tough setup! If it could move up to about 16,000 loads total should have no problems moving a 3-4K car/truck!

 

DJ

[1950D34]

OK so I found the ID pad not one # jives with any on the power wagon site. So I need some help. Here are the numbers I took off the block. M37043 WN E241. The E241 is a smaller number punch located in the upper right of the machined pad. The raised casting numbers down under the distributor are U-13 and then further to the right of the block near the starter location are 1119729-5. I took a tape measure to the block ands it was 24" I checked it against a '39 Chrysler and it was 25". So what is this thing?

Edited November 6, 2014 by 1950D34

[Jerry Roberts]

I guess here ;  A military engine ?  M37 might be a model of a military vehicle .  EDIT ; Dodge made a M37 3/4 ton vehicle with 4 wheel drive starting around 1950 or 1951 . Perhaps one of the military truck sites can identify that serial number . 

Edited November 10, 2014 by Jerry Roberts